ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
January 17, 2023
I mentioned a few days ago that I am working on a presentation that has me rereading Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s sermon to our denomination’s national gathering on September 25, 1966, held in Dallas. There are certain places in the original manuscript where Dr. King scratched out a few sentences. One of our former General Minister and Presidents, Rev. John Humbert, was an adjunct professor at my seminary, and he taught my Polity Class. As a side story, he shared that he had been the stage manager at that national gathering in 1966, and he had witnessed Dr. King making edits to his message moments before he preached. I was able to access images of the original manuscript, and there are many blue lines through portions of his message. One of the sentences he cut out was the following:
“If the church does not participate actively in the struggle for economic and racial justice, it will forfeit the loyalty of millions and cause men everywhere to say that it has atrophied its will.”
Though some of his language might not be as inclusive as we would use today, his words speak profoundly to our current situation. The church is bleeding people, even the big churches, because more and more people are questioning the moral and ethical teachings of the church. People are frustrated when the church remains silent on real issues of justice. People are not necessarily looking for “the” Biblical response, but they expect a community willing to engage in the conversation. King used the word “atrophies” to describe the church, and I have a feeling there would be many today who would echo the sentiment. The church should not be the last entity to join the conversation, but rather should be at the forefront and fully engaged. In fact, the church has too often found itself apologizing for its failures. I am looking forward to the day when the whole church receives the Nobel Peace Prize, not simply one member who was often demonized and dismissed by a majority of the church.
Good and Gracious God, allow us to openly engage in the hard conversations. There are many who are seeking at least one religious opinion to participant in the sacred and vulnerable work of reconciliation. As we offer our voice, let us also have ears to hear both the valid criticism and the creative ideas outside of our purview. Your Spirit often works beyond what we might claim to be the usual and expected, and for that, we also need a little humility. Amen.
